Endowments

“Let me give you the definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the House of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”

- Prophets Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 2, p. 31

“Freemasonry did not, and does not, teach that its signs and tokens, unlike the signs and tokens of Mormonism, are literally keys which must be given to ‘angels who stand as sentinel' to ‘walk back to the presence of the Father'...”

- Homer, “Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry,” p. 107

“The ordinances of washing and anointing are referred to often in the temple as initiatory ordinances.... In connection with these ordinances, in the temple you will be officially clothed in the garment and promised marvelous blessings in connection with it... members who have received their temple ordinances thereafter wear the special garment or underclothing.”

- Apostle Boyd K. Packer, Holy Temple, 154, 155, 75

“Joseph [Smith] tells us that this new name is a key-word, which can only be obtained through the endowments. This is one of the keys and blessings that will be bestowed upon the Saints in these last days, for which we should be very thankful.”

- Apostle Charles C. Rich, Journal of Discourses, v. 19, p. 250

“Because of its sacredness and the prohibitions of the Lord established to protect its sanctity, many of the beautiful ordinances of the holy endowment and much of the detailed instruction involved cannot be disclosed.”

- Edmunds, Through Temple Doors, p. 74

“Questions about the temple ceremony usually meet with the response, ‘We are not free to discuss the temple ordinances and ceremonies.”

- Apostle Boyd K. Packer, Holy Temple, p. 28

“The ordinances of the endowment embody certain obligations on the part of the individual, such as covenant and promise to observe the law of strict virtue and chastity.”

- Apostle James Talmage, House of the Lord, p. 84

“The blessing of the endowment is required for full exaltation... [and] those who attain exaltation are Gods.”

- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 577

“According to the actor who portrayed the minister in the third filmed version, the role of Satan [during the endowment ceremony film] was to have originally been filled by an African-American, but due to protests by LDS Polynesians, a Caucasian filled the role.”